The Silent War
by Dreams of Shadows
Summary: Knowing the future is a heavy burden. Do we fight to change it or let it take the chosen course? Is it even our right to do so? With this knowledge am I destined to drown under the weight, or will I rise to the challenge like a phoenix from the ashes. SI/OC Rebirth fic.
1. Prologue: Rebirth

**Rebirth Arc: Welcome to the World**

We never stop to think about death.

Maybe because the idea that today might be the day you die is absurd- you're going to live forever after all.

Or maybe your mind wants to be spared the effort of constantly surveying for every single microscopic thing that might in some small way bring about your demise. Who knows? All I know is that one day my death came to me.

I remembered the gun going off and then the pain- so much pain. What at first felt like searing hot shards embedded in my chest became a squeezing, convulsing feeling as walls closed in around me and forced me out into a blinding light. A painstaking process that seemed to last for hours, until at last it came to an end and my lungs burned with their first breath in an age.

Nothing was right though. My eyes struggled to make out anything other than vague shadowy blobs, and my body jerked uncontrollably as I tried to move it with some form of coordination.

I was alive, but was this living? I was helpless. I had no idea what was going on. I was as helpless as a new-born baby.

Little did I know that I _was_ a new-born baby.

I felt lukewarm water surround me, splashed onto my body by the hands that held me. I cried for all it was worth, even when they wrapped me in a blanket- rough against my sensitive skin.

I didn't like it; being this helpless, being this… _dependent_ on someone else to do everything else for you. I could only hope that this was a temporary thing.

I was gently placed down on a bed, too busy crying to pay attention to whatever was happening. As far as I was concerned my life was over.

How much time passed was hard to tell. There was no way to tell whether it was night or day in here. It could have been days, weeks- even months. Slowly I accepted the fact that I was trapped like this, though little improvements gave me hope that this may not be permanent after all.

My ears were slowly beginning to pick out individual sounds, and not just the muffled noises one might associate with having their ears submerged.

My eyes could now discern the outlines of objects and were beginning to make out the features of the people who came to see me.

They wore a lot of white, though that I expected. After all they were doctors. But what I didn't expect was for them to be speaking Japanese.

" _Ohayo, Mirai-chan!"_ This woman was a familiar presence, though woman might have been too generous. She looked like she was in her early teens, her wide blue eyes set in a face framed by dark green hair.

' _Surely that can't be natural…'_

She would chatter on about this and that as she fed me, pressing the plastic tip to my mouth.

I'd been confused at first about why they were feeding me like this- and milk nonetheless. But like many other things I'd just learned to accept it.

My limbs still refused to listen to me. That didn't stop me from trying however- I was going to go back to my normal life or die trying. The frustration would get to me on days though and I'd burst out crying from the hell of it all. I just wanted to be back to my old self again- was that too much to ask?

Whenever I did cry, one of the doctors would come in and try to console me. But how could they when they didn't know what was wrong? How could they know the humiliation of even being able to control your _bowel movements?!_

I was slowly going mad trapped inside this useless body. No matter how much progress I made, I was inevitably reminded that it still wasn't enough.

It was a race to get better before I lost my mind.

As time passed I bounced between days of utter despair, where I could barely be bothered to try, and days of almost manic determination where trying was all I did. The green-haired nurse would watch me often as I did this. She would coo at me and speak in that stupid voice reserved for babies and dogs. I wished I could just tell her to drop the patronising act, but the only noises I could make were just that- noises.

My voice didn't sound right either I'd come to realise. A lot of things weren't adding up and even though the answer danced at the back of my mind I still refused to hear it.

It wasn't possible.

It just wasn't possible.

Eventually I was moved out of the hospital and into some kind of home. I was asleep for that part though, and probably gave my new carers a startle when I started crying again. Thoughts of kidnapping sprung to mind when I had first looked up to this new room. The hospitals sterile white walls replaced with wooden panels and a roof painted like the sky.

My senses continued to improve. My control over my body grew. Each aided by the adult mind that had finally accepted the fact that I was a baby.

I was a _baby_.

What kind of cruel joke was this? Did I have enough unspent years on my last life to try for a repeat? Was it possible that this was actually some kind of comatose dream? Was I actually lying in a hospital bed back in Exeter dreaming this all up to keep myself entertained?

I began to pay more attention to what was going on around me.

While the green-haired nurse was still the most common person in my life, I concluded she wasn't my mother- my new mother. A concept that didn't quite compute. The idea of having any other mother was strange and foreboding. It felt like a betrayal. I'd replay old memories over and over to remind myself who my real family was and then sink into a depression over the fact I might never see them again.

I'd always dreamed of having a new life somewhere, but that didn't mean I wanted this.

' _Is this hell? Punishing me with this useless body and useless memories. Take them away! I don't want to remember!'_

Constantly I would fall into this same pit of despair, and constantly I would drag myself out. I needed to be stronger than this. I had to accept the fact that who I was before didn't matter now.

I had a chance to start fresh- to become everything I ever wanted to be. How many people got to say that? These memories could be my motivation to lead a better to life. I wouldn't let this eat away at me. I would start again.

I would be Mirai, not Kadyn.

My new mother was dead. That was the conclusion I came to- or maybe it was the conclusion I preferred. Having no new parents to deal with made it easier, I think. There was no-one to stoke the conflicted feelings in my chest.

I was an orphan in… well, an orphanage. The green-haired nurse appeared a lot because she worked here and at the hospital. Her name was Jueki. She was fifteen or so, and a very happy-go-lucky person. Easily my favourite person in the place.

You see, being a baby meant that people often spoke freely to me. It made it very easy to find out what people _really_ thought about.

It also raised a lot of questions about where the hell I'd been reborn.

Even if my grasp of Japanese had proved non-existent, there was no way I could mistake those words.

 _Konoha._

 _Hokage._

 _Shinobi._

Just a few of the words that surfaced again and again. As nothing more than background noise I had never given them any consideration before. But now…

Let's just suppose for a moment that it is actually possible that I was in another world-

' _ **You've been reborn. Is this so hard to believe?'**_

' _This isn't the same! This would mean I was reborn in a_ fictional _world. As in_ not real.'

' _ **How is it not the same? Rebirth was fictional for you until it happened.'**_

I was in another world, where people wield almost magical abilities, where creatures of gargantuan proportions walk the earth and where children are raised to fight? I couldn't accept that. There was just no way that anything like that would ever happen.

Ever.

I think I was only a couple of months old when it happened. When Jueki took me outside with her and sat down on the grass, talking on about whatever small thing crossed her mind. That's when it happened.

I was looking in the direction of the village at the time, peering at the mountainside to see if I could spot any faces in the light of the full moon when it appeared.

A large plume of pale smoke appeared. A feeling unlike any other washed over my skin, chilling me to the core and freezing me in place even as a voice at the back of my mind told me to run. Whatever this… _thing_ was, it was evil. Pure malevolence and a hatred so deep it could be felt even here.

Jueki's grip tightened instinctively on me.

Numerous tails emerged from the plume, trashing about wildly, destroying nearby buildings as though they were made of smoke themselves. As the plume faded we saw more of the colossal shape, watching in terrified silence as the beast threw its head up and let out an ear-shattering roar.

It broke us out whatever stupor we had been in. Jueki shot to her feet in an instant, rushing me back in doors even as the beast let loose another roar. As the moonlight washed over it I was able to see what it truly was.

The Kyuubi.

I saw it only for an instant, and in that instance I understood.

Jueki put me back in my bed, shouting to the others as the other children began to cry loudly.

That was the Kyuubi I saw.

That was the _Kyuubi_ I saw.

So that means… that village really was Konoha.

I was in the Naruto world.

' _No! That's not possible!'_

But there was no denying that apparition.

The orphanage was set outside the village, on top of a nearby hill where it could be seen by the wall guards- but the reverse was also true and it had just given me all the proof I needed.

No, I didn't need _this._

' _Why did this happen to me? Why?!'_

I joined the other children in their fear chorus, crying out in fear, confusion and anger. Even when the Kyuubi's presence no longer suffocated us and the other kids had been consoled I continued to cry.

It lasted for weeks, I think. The shock of it all- the impossibility and frustration of it all had caught up with me and I wanted nothing more than to dissolve in my tears and be left to actually die.

Jueki was absent during this time, called away to deal with the casualties and the other workers were loath to deal with me. I was left to cry and cry until there was nothing left inside.

'Why' was the word that kept circling my mind, refusing to leave and causing nothing but grief for me.

I couldn't answer that question. There was no way of knowing what or why this happened.

Was this a universal constant? Where we all reborn like this? Or was I some kind of cosmic freak or pet project for some bored deity. How was I supposed to answer these questions?

Around the time of my first birthday, I had an epiphany. Or so I like to believe.

I _wasn't_ supposed to answer these questions. There was no way I could ever possibly find out why the hell I was here, so why worry about it? It had happened and that was that. So what was the point in worrying about it?

The change didn't happen overnight, but I slowly began to cheer up. I pushed aside all the negative parts- brushing them aside as it were- and focused on the positive. This was a new life in a new world, and I was going to make the most of it.

I knew where I was along the lines of the plot now- thanks to the Kyuubi. Somewhere in Konoha right now a little baby Naruto was resting and I was going to grow up alongside him. I was in the perfect position to observe the plot in progress- and maybe even change it.

I doubted I could stop the massacre of the Uchiha clan- the defining moment had already occurred and if Itachi and the Hokage hadn't been able to do anything then how could I? It was a great loss, and also a great relief. One less burden to worry about.

But who was I to go on about changing the future? Just because I was here didn't mean I had the right to go interfering with the plot. The consequences could be devastating, and how did I know the plot could be changed anyway? Just because I was here… I could have just been one of the throwaway background characters.

With all the endless possibilities how could I even know for certain things would play out the way they did in the manga and anime? Or maybe that was it, I had to make sure things worked out the way they did in the plot.

But there was a whole world of people out there, all with their own dreams and desires. I couldn't manipulate them like puppets for my personal satisfaction.

What it all came down to really though was one thing.

My own dreams and desires.

Did _I_ want to go about manipulating the plot because of the one possible future I saw? Would I be able to sit back knowing a person's life was about to end? Was I prepared to face whatever repercussions my meddling would have?

More questions I couldn't answer. I was at war with myself about what to do with this knowledge I had.

With great power comes great responsibility.

This knowledge gave me power alright, but was I prepared to handle the responsibilities it came with? I wasn't even sure what those were.

I had eleven years until the main plot began.

Answers could wait.

I threw myself into the revelry of being a child again, working hard to gain my independence whilst also enjoying this small window to live without worries. I already began my education and began to formulate my plan.

I would go to the Academy.

That was the best way to start. I would become a shinobi who had the power to make these changes.

Over the next few years Jueki helped me learn, teaching me to read and write while I taught myself to be stronger. I ran around the orphanage, joined by other children who wanted to join the academy and we would pretend to spar one another as we coerced any shinobi we could to help us- not many as it turned out.

I wanted to try using my chakra, to feel this foreign energy that was now flowing through my body and so I dared to try the leaf exercise. One of the three chakra exercises I knew.

I would wait until night, sitting on my bed in the moonlight and try to urge this energy through me.

It was weeks until I first felt it.

There are no words to describe the sensation, because no such sensation existed in my old world. It wasn't hot and it wasn't cold, there was no liquid or gaseous feel to it- it just _was_.

The chakra would sit unnoticed in me until I called it, feeling the energy respond to my touch and moving it to where I wanted to go. The further away from my coils though the harder it was, and it took further weeks until I could stick the leaf to my head for even a few seconds.

The more I played with my own chakra the more I began to notice others- I could feel Jueki's chakra and sense that it was different from my own. It felt so… soothing compared to my own- like an ointment rubbed on a nettle sting. I began to notice it even when she wasn't in the same room, knowing she was back before she'd even walked through the front door.

When the time came I could hold the leaf on my head for ages and with barely a thought I began to wonder about all the other things I could do. Not jutsu mind you, but small things such as… such as… enhancing senses, or being able to walk without a sound.

There were so many possibilities for this, for what I could do with chakra. All the jutsu to be learned and all the skills that went unspoken in the series.

I could see why being a shinobi was so appealing, and so when the time came I was registered with the Academy. School supplies were collected and a nice outfit to wear. But that wasn't all as it turned out.

Becoming an academy student meant that I could have my own place- a small studio flat- because of the fact the orphanage was outside of the village.

I packed up my few belongings, thanked the workers for looking after me and left without a second thought. Any friends had would be attending the academy as well, so there was no need for goodbyes there.

I walked through the front door of my flat that was barely bigger than my room at the orphanage and smiled.

Here was my chance for a better life.

* * *

 **A/N: And here it is, more of a prologue than anything else but still- here it is. My attempt at a Naruto SI fic, inspired by so many others that I couldn't name them all. I'm sure you could guess a few though.**


	2. Academy Arc: First Day of School

**Rebirth Arc: Welcome to the Academy**

I'd never experienced anything so nerve-wracking in my entire life.

Forget the fact I was going to be learning to fight alongside some of my favourite characters. I was starting school again. I was going to relive those long years of struggling to maintain a balance between doing all my work like a good girl and hanging out with my friends so I didn't end up a social outcast by the time I'd finished.

Plus my adult intellect was only going to get me so far. Especially when it came to the physical aspect of my education, it might even be a drawback- how many times had 'don't hit others' been pounded into my head by my parents and social media?

I was so nervous my hands trembled as I put on my new outfit, eyes roving over a body that still seemed so foreign.

I was taller, I think, than I was at this age in my old life and my pale skin had darkened slightly under the light of this foreign sun. Hair that used to be dark brown now blended into a new shade of auburn tied back in a long ponytail, and eyes that used to a beautiful blue were now pitch black. I looked so different, and yet so familiar…

' _Well I have been stuck in this body for six years.'_

For my school outfit I'd chosen to wear plain black trousers, bound up with bandages at the bottom, and a dark blue patterned dress top with a silvery sash to bind around my waist.

I didn't like it.

Jueki had chosen the outfit herself though and I didn't want to upset her. She'd always looked after me.

' _Plus it's not like there was a nice pair of jeans and a hoodie…'_

I stood fidgeting with the sash, glancing over at the clock in anticipation of the time to come.

It wasn't going to be a proper day. No, it was more of a welcome ceremony where the parents would come and watch as their children were accepted in. As well as an introduction to the students about what it is we would be doing and what they expected of us.

" _Don't let then scare you," Jueki said as she searched through the various rails, pulling out the most absurd tops to look at. "They'll make it sound all tough and scary but it really isn't. The idea is to weed out anyone who isn't suited for the shinobi lifestyle."_

 _I sat down on a nearby bench, mentally cringing whenever she picked something out in fear of having to try it on. She may have been a great medic and one of the friendliest people I had ever met (In both lives) but she was definitely no fashion guru._

 _Example. Today's outfit included a bright pink t-shirt with an orange collar- put that with her green hair and even my lack of fashion sense looks tame._

" _They'll present a few examples to you about where missions have gone wrong because a shinobi was unable to perform their duty and plant the little seeds of doubt in your mind- and over time they'll grow until either you overcome your doubts and push forwards or you fall to them and drop out."_

" _Why would they do that?" I asked, curious._

" _Because the Academy is an investment. They don't charge fees because the idea is that you'll pay back your education with the money earned from the missions you'll complete in your lifetime, and if you can't complete the missions then why invest in you?"_

 _I shifted uncomfortably, hoping the same didn't apply to me._

" _That's a little…harsh isn't it?" I asked uncertainly._

" _Not at all- just think of the lives saved by it."_

I was brought out of my thoughts by a knocking at the door. A familiar presence could be sensed outside the door.

"Come in, Risu-kun," I called out.

The door swung open, banging loudly against the wall. A boy the same age as myself came in, his wild dark hair standing up like he'd been electrocuted.

"How do you always know it's me?!" He asked with a grin, kicking the door shut behind him. "You've got to teach me that!"

"Excellence such as mine cannot be taught," I said to him teasingly. "All ready for the academy?"

He huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Of course I am."

"Did you remember to eat breakfast?"

His stomach growled in response

I laughed as he flushed red. "Lucky for you I was just about to have mine."

I searched through the kitchen cupboards- less than a metre from my 'bedroom' area- and pulled out a box of cereal, climbing up onto the counter to pull down a couple of bowls donated by the orphanage.

Risu pulled the milk out of the fridge and I sorted out the rest.

"It's weird isn't it?" Risu asked, perched on the edge of my bed. "Not being at the orphanage."

"Kinda." I leant back against the fridge and shrugged. "I like it though- and we've still got each other as well as Hitome, Keiseki and Saya."

We both pulled a face.

I didn't hate any of the kids I had lived with, but those three definitely came close to the mark. Saya had an alpha personality and spent her time ordering everyone else around- along with the help of her two flunkies. She could extremely unbearable and even gentle Jueki had come close to losing her temper with her at times.

If you could tolerate being bossed around though then she could be a nice friend.

Unfortunately I couldn't.

I hated taking orders from people like her and we had clashed frequently. Mostly in shouting matches, especially after the only physical match that began after an especially heated arguement we had ended with her being beat. A match which contributed to Risu's becoming my friend.

He felt strongly about dealing with bullies and was quite mature for his age- though every child here seemed too old for their skin.

"Mirai-chan?"

"Hm?" I watched Risu tug at his sleeve, a look of apprehension crossed his face.

"Do you think we really could become ninja?"

I studied him carefully. Was he having the same doubts as me? I'd hate to the meet the person who didn't. The academy was an opportunity to join shinobi ranks- practically every kids dream. So many others would have applied for the academy if adults weren't there to stop them. Even with the current peace it was still so easy to die on a mission.

I thought back to the so-called 'training sessions' we five did together. When we weren't arguing with each other and actually operating as a team… we'd done great. When it came to racing I had the lead, practicing on my own to entertain myself.

The orphanage was drastically short on books.

When it came to everything else- every other tiny little thing we thought in some way would help… Risu was ahead. The kid must have had some good clan blood in his veins.

"Trust me, you're going to be a great ninja," I told him firmly.

He smiled happily. Then frowned.

"Don't you think you'll become a great ninja?"

I shrugged in reply. "We'll see."

* * *

We paced ourselves as we made the walk up to the academy, taking in all the sights of our home village. I especially was enamoured with the view- more so when it came to something I recognised. Being able to see all of this in real life as opposed to the animated view on the screen was amazing.

The rock faces on the cliff were so amazing- is this what it would be like to see Mt Rushmore for real?

The exotic smells from the various cafes and restaurants was enticing and in some cases not so enticing. People walked to and fro dressed in a fashion both bizarre and intriguing- I could see the hitai-ate of the shinobi who passed by. Some in standard uniform.

I imagine we were both a sight, gazing gormlessly about like a couple of tourists. The fact we'd been in the village only a few days probably didn't help the matter.

"This is so cool!" Risu grinned at me and I mirrored it.

At the base of the Hokage Mountain stood the Academy, the red tower emblazoned with the symbol of our land a guide to all. Was the Third in there right now? Sitting at the Mission Assignment Desk?

' _I wonder if I'll meet him soon…'_

The idea was both exciting and terrifying. He was the leader of this village, a shinobi of extreme excellence. What if he saw through me? What if he realised I knew more than I let on?

' _ **You're being paranoid. What reason would he have to suspect a child born and raised in his village of being a soul reborn with knowledge about the future? That's ridiculous.'**_

' _Not if he thinks I threaten the future of the village…'_

I could see the tree in front of the building, the lone swing hanging in the shadows like a forlorn reminder of the darkness behind it all. Risu and many others were orphans because of shinobi actions- the fox that had killed so many people had left behind more than a jinchuriki. How many families had suffered that night?

If I'd been born earlier would I have been able to stop such a momentous occasion? Would Risu and the others have families to go back to?

Risu was a brave kid, but I sometimes wondered how much he hurt underneath those smiles.

Students and parents alike were chatting in front, trying to encourage friendships beneficial to their family and I could see so many familiar faces- Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka and Chōza Akimichi with their kids for starters.

I tried not to stare, lost in a moment of fangirlish glee. There they were- in the flesh. Cue the mental squeal.

My eyes darted about fervidly as I looked for the rest of the rookie nine- Kiba, Shino, Sakura, Hinata, Sasuke and even Naruto. They were all there!

"Risu-kun! Mirai-chan!"

And there was Jueki, dressed in her bizarre taste once again. This time a nice orange top with a cat face decorated across it.

Many people were looking.

She beckoned us over to where she was standing, Saya and her two lackeys already there.

"Morning, Jueki-chan." I greeted the eccentric when we ran over.

She immediately pulled us both into a bear hug. The familiar sensation of a soothing ointment with a cool aloe scent. A welcome reprieve to the overbearing mixture of signals my senses were receiving. Was there something wrong with my ability to sense chakra? Everything I sensed came through as smells, sounds and feelings- it was extremely confusing and extremely uncomfortable.

"My little ninja," she chirped. "Are you all as excited as I am?"

"Ecstatic." Saya rolled her eyes, flicking a strand of platinum blonde hair out of her face. "Let's just hope those clan brats aren't _that_ much more trained than us."

"Silly- being a clan kid doesn't give you that much of an advantage." Jueki wagged her finger at us, surveying the students at the same time. "I've been keeping an ear to the ground and haven't heard about anyone exceptional from the clans."

Hitome pointed to a familiar figure. "What about him? His brother graduated in a year with top scores!"

We all discretely looked at Sasuke.

He was a cute kid, a hopeful smile on his faced as he looked out for his father. Dressed in the traditional dark clothes of his clan he actually stood out more among the lighter and colourful others. He was a picture of innocence.

' _I wish there was something I could have done, Sasuke.'_

' _ **Then why don't you?'**_

But I'd rethought this argument through constantly. The wheels were already in motion- had been ever since the Valley of the End. The fox had only sped up the process, and the story had made it seem all but impossible that a clan so steeped in hatred could be saved.

' _Or maybe I'm just making excuses.'_

I'll admit it freely. I'm scared.

The idea of telling anyone what I knew scared me so much I had nightmares about being sent to T&I. The idea of letting _anyone_ know I was a reborn soul was so off the table I'd decided it before setting foot in the room.

No. One. Must. Know.

I knew it would be hard. Not just because I was dealing with ninjas able to detect a lie a mile of, but because of the guilt I'd feel because I'd known what was going to happen and I could have done something about it.

I'd spent so much time going over and over the same points that I'd grown sick of it.

' _I just want out.'_

I could always kill myself- but I had a chance to lead a better life, and if I died… would I be reborn somewhere else with all these memories? Or would the darkness claim me.

Losing my memories of my old life seemed the best option- but how was I supposed to do that? Any memory loss would surely take all my memories and send me on a quest to get them back.

But… I was stuck in this rut because I was in the midst of it. I was in the right age zone to interact with the main characters and to be caught in the waves of their actions. I needed to get away from all of this, to escape from the village and the five great nations. I could travel to a part of the world that was as far away from the action as I could get- exploring nations unknown.

Yeah, that sounded good.

In order to leave the village with a chance of actually not getting killed- I would have to become more powerful, and in order to become more powerful I'd have to stay trapped in the so-called plotline.

"You still here?"

I was brought out of my thoughts as Risu tapped on my head with his knuckles. Flicking his hand away with a glare I noticed the students were lining up.

' _And so it begins.'_

Risu fell in line and I stepped behind him, watching the crowds of parents and others while one of the academy teachers launched into a well-rehearsed speech about welcoming the next generation and how we'd chosen the noble path of the shinobi-

-There he was!

Itachi Uchiha neatly stepped in and filled the gap, attracting the attention of many students and parents alike. It wasn't often a child graduated after one year during peacetime. He was a prodigy, and not just any prodigy- a _clan_ prodigy. As well as being heir to the Uchiha clan he was an attractive proposition to anyone looking to create good ties- and the fact his younger brother was in this class…

' _Small wonder all the girls like him.'_

I paid little attention to the speech. Jueki had told us it was little more than pomp and circumstance. It wasn't important. I instead chose to observe each and every student. How many of these kids would drop out before we even got to the exams?

Including myself, the other orphanage kids and the rookie nine there were… over sixty kids it looked like.

' _And only nine will graduate a year? That can't be right.'_

Kakashi had told his team that only three of the teams would be able to actually graduate. But was that completely accurate? What about genin teams with missing members? Surely there was more to the process than that.

' _ **Maybe he told them that to give them an extra bit of… motivation.'**_

If not then I'd probably be stuck at the academy a bit longer. The Hokage chose the teams because their skill sets complimented each other- there was no way he'd choose different because I was here.

' _Kurenai's team are all good at tracking, Asuma's team is the famous Ino-Shika-Cho combination and Kakashi's team… Well tradition puts the strongest and weakest genin on the same team, and Sakura adds brain power to their brawn.'_

After the speech was finished we were separated into our classes. Three classes of about twenty-four each. Which meant that to get the final class number of twenty-seven at least eighteen of the third class would had to fail or graduate to make two classes of twenty-seven.

' _Wasn't it only one class though?'_

Maybe the other classes would have their exams at different times?

The parents began to separate as each of the three teachers called out our names. They went down the list alphabetically, each teacher whichever name was theirs. Shino's names was the first one I recognised, called out by Iruka and shortly followed by Chōji's.

A load more names I didn't recognise.

"Haruno Sakura," called out Iruka.

I watched the nervous pink-haired girl go to join him. She stood fidgeting with her sleeve.

More unknown names.

"Hekiga Risu." It was the female teacher this time- Suzume was it? The one who ran the after school kunoichi classes.

I smiled my encouragement to him as he made his way to stand alongside his new teacher with the various unknown students.

"Hinekureta Keiseki," called out lady-sensei.

Keiseki was strongly built for a six year old and the only one out of the five of us who was taller than me. He matched his hulking- for a six year old- body with a face that just demanded to be punched.

That was my excuse any way.

' _I must have inherited something from my new parents- I don't recall being this aggressive before. Well except in my head.'_

Hinata was called up by Iruka and so was-

"Idenshi Saya."

If I hadn't wanted to join Iruka's class before that just sealed it.

Kiba joined Iruka's class as well, while Hitome went to join Keiseki and Risu in lady-sensei's class.

And before long it was my turn.

"Konagana Mirai."

My breath hitched and I automatically made my way across to stand with my new sensei. The part I'd been worrying about all day was over, and yet it really had only just begun.

Six years.

That was how long I had to get myself into shape before the day of reckoning came and I would find out what part I was to play in this story.

The rest of the rookie nine were sorted into their rightful classes- or should I say class- and we were led inside. Immediately chatter broke out among the students and a hand patted me on the back.

"Looks like we'll be working together, classmate." Saya grinned at me, a competitive edge to her tone. "Hope you can keep up."

She laughed brightly and sped up a bit, sliding into the group of female students like she'd been there the whole time.

Stuck in the same class as the rookie nine _and_ my nemesis.

I was doomed.

I took a seat at the back of the classroom. Even raised up it still gave me a sense of distance and safety from the view of the teacher and other students. Fervidly I wished I'd been stuck in lady-sensei's class with Risu.

I wanted to _avoid_ the main plot- not become a part of it. Having Saya here was just added misery.

Thankfully she chose to take a seat with Ino and some of the other girls in front of me, leaving me free to glare at her back.

"…is it okay if I sit here?" asked an uncertain voice, probably put off by my desire to kill.

"Sure," I said distractedly before realising I'd been asked a question.

I turned to find out what I'd just agreed to and was taken back. Shock flooded my system as I found myself looking into a pair of bright blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, hovering between sitting and standing. "I can sit somewhere else if-"

"No, no it's fine," I lied, waving his offer off. "I was just caught off guard by… how blond your hair is."

It truly was a shade a blond I had never seen before- it almost actually looked yellow. But we both knew I was lying. He took the seat anyway and looked at me cautiously, like he expected me to jump out of the window.

' _I said I want to stay out of the main plot! Why is this happening to me?'_

I should have moved. Then I wouldn't have to worry about it. But… I couldn't be mean to him. Putting aside fangirl love I would hate myself for walking away from a lonely child. From a demon however…

Naruto's chakra felt like warm sunlight across my skin. Like Jueki's chakra it was soothing, though in its own way. It made me feel safe. Naruto wasn't a demon, he was a kid.

On the fringe of my sense though I could sense it. My mind tricking my body into thinking that _thing_ was nearby. Adrenalin coursed through my veins and chakra ran through my legs in preparation of saving myself.

I knew Naruto was no danger, but my survival instinct knew there was a monster inside of him and the idea of a small boy holding back all that fury did not compute. My body wanted out.

' _No.'_ I snapped mentally. _'He's not dangerous.'_

"My name is Mirai. What's yours?"

"Naruto," he answered cautiously. He seemed nothing like the overconfident, exuberant kid I was used to seeing.

It was kind of sad actually.

"Well Naruto, how about we be friends?" I hoped my cheerful tone didn't sound forced as my body begged me not to put it in this situation.

He appraised me carefully before answering, but judging from the cheer in his eyes the idea of having a friend overpowered any concern he might have had.

"Sure!" A big grin spread across his face and with it the warning lights in my head shut down as his cheer infected me.

' _You are one special kid, Naruto.'_ I thought to myself, gleeful at having made friends with the main character so fast.

Then it hit me.

' _What the hell have I just done?!'_

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 **A/N: Thank you all for the alerts, favourites and reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


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